By James Sampson on Jan 9, 2014
Following last year’s successful budget request of $500,000 by Senator Sharon Brown, the Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC) have announced they are using the money to study and submit a proposal requesting the construction of an SMR at Hanford to the Department of Energy.
The DOE has already awarded up to $452 million in matching funds to Generation mPower and Nuscale to develop their SMR designs. Generation mPower are working alongside Tennessee Valley Authority at their site in Clinch River, whilst NuScale have tentative plans for a plant in Idaho to be maintained by Energy Northwest.

However, the grants awarded do not include site selection or construction, giving TRIDEC the opportunity to convince the DOE that Hanford (a former atomic weapons facility currently in the process of being decommissioned) offers a superior location for construction of an SMR, costing between $500 million and $1 billion.

Support in the area for the proposal has been strong, with most members of Washington’s Congressional delegation sending letters appealing for Hanford to be the site of an SMR. In discussing the proposal, Senator Brown said “this is an opportunity I do not want to see pass us by”.

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